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[Jan 17] [Tutorial] Format Your Windows Phone Micro SD Card

If you find this useful please click Thanks
If your having trouble trying to Format your Micro SD after flashing to Windows Phone 7,
Example: You have a 16GB card; However it reports you only have 199MB
I have attached Panasonic SD Card Formatter -
You Must Choose Full Format
Supported Operating System:
(1) For SD/SDHC Cards
- Windows 7
- Windows Vista
- Windows XP
(2) For SDXC Card
- Windows 7
- Windows Vista (SP1 or later)
- Windows XP (SP2 or later) with the exFAT file system update (KB955704)
Information:
Current formatter is beta version.
Final version will be completed around the end of March.

I have read a number of articles about not being able to reuse a sd card after it was used by windows phone 7. Does that also applied to those of us HD2 owners who are running WP7?
I have a 16gb card that is only using 4gb for WP7 because I formatted the other 12gb as fat 32 for Android.
Is there a way I can unformat the 12gb so that WP7 can use it. Or can I use the card and start all over by reinstalling WP7 and let it partition the card to use all but 200mb of the 16gb card?
Here is one of the articles I read about the sd card not being swappable:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2372732,00.asp

This is the HD2 Forum
Do a Full Format using the Utility I have attached.

Ok i downloaded the file and installed it. but when i choose format it tells me that the lock switch is on. Iv checked and rechecked but there is no lock switch on my sd card adapter.
Please help?

Hmm
I have the specific problem addressed (199Mb partition on a 16GB drive)
this program does not address it, it just allows me to reformat the 199Mb drive :-(
I will use fdisk or similar to resolve myself - but it doen't look as if this app "does what it says on the tin" ?

Try HP Low Level format tool, it always deleted my partitions on every device without problems

Hi
Thanks for this wonderfull tool, I downloaded this tool, installed in on Windows Vista, it formated my SD card wonderfully and even displayed the total space available, however now Windows refuses to recognise my SD card, and when I reconnected the SD card, neither your app nor Windows recognises the device.
Any suggestions.

thanks you just downloaded.

same issue happening to me after earase the sd card and wp7 will not save my user data anymore, any suggestions?

c1363 said:
same issue happening to me after earase the sd card and wp7 will not save my user data anymore, any suggestions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Windows Phone 7 uses the SDCard and the NAND memory together as internal storage, in a unique partition (like RAID for PCs, something similiar).
If you format your SD Card, you have to reset your phone.

You don't have to use any special tool, just use diskpart tool within Windows from command line (diskpart -> list disk -> select disk X -> select partition X -> delete -> select partition X -> delete -> create partition fs=ntfs -> DONE).

I have a 16 gb card, came with my HD2. I have run XBMod rom since it all came out months ago, no issues with the rom or the card.
When nodo came out, I tried another rom, phone started rebooting. I tried diskpart, cleaned the drive, recreated the partition as fat32. Let WP7 format, no help. Any ideas?

Successfully formatted my MicroSD
Just popped it in my Nikon D90 and it asked me do you wish to format. I said yes. Done in few seconds.

For others who see this, if you have used your card with WP7 mango you need a newer Nokia to format the card, as it will be encrypted, and Windows woun't recognize it!

/cry
norphf said:
For others who see this, if you have used your card with WP7 mango you need a newer Nokia to format the card, as it will be encrypted, and Windows woun't recognize it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This seems to be the only way to format the card once Mango is flashed. I have a 16GB card, but it didn't get any fat32 partitions, and it isn't recognized in any OS I try it on (Win7, Linux, OSX, Winmo 6.5, and now a new installation of WP7 doesn't see it either). If anyone finds another way, that would be awesome.

simpleton681 said:
This seems to be the only way to format the card once Mango is flashed. I have a 16GB card, but it didn't get any fat32 partitions, and it isn't recognized in any OS I try it on (Win7, Linux, OSX, Winmo 6.5, and now a new installation of WP7 doesn't see it either). If anyone finds another way, that would be awesome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am having the same issue.. can't format my 16GB after coming from Mango. Tried a bunch of software and no luck. Tried from different android phones with no luck. I guess the nokia d90 is one way to format the 16gb.
There has to be another way!

tKoHaXoR said:
I am having the same issue.. can't format my 16GB after coming from Mango. Tried a bunch of software and no luck. Tried from different android phones with no luck. I guess the nokia d90 is one way to format the 16gb.
There has to be another way!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1242071 these devices have been confirmed to format sd card
Or use the storage_unlock.cab from xbmod
whilst you have wp7 installed send the storage unlock.cab to phone then send 1gb partition cab reset the phone from about..check if partition took effect first..press storage unlock on homepage tile .turn phone off your pc should recognise the sd card in sd card adapter for example it should read 7gb instead of 8gb use easeus partition tool to fully reformat
"download easeus partition master
find your sd on the screen by plugging it in and clicking refresh (arrows), your sd should show up as disk 2 or 3 and should have two sections FAT32 and unformatted.
right click on the unformatted section and choose delete then click on "apply"(or tick) button above
right click on your 1 gb FAT32 partition and chose resize
move the slider(click and hold on the separating bar between the two partitions) to increase the size to the whole volume then click apply
right click on the volume again and choose format primary,FAT32, 32kb sectors then apply.
That should do it.". Thanks to robbie p
Good luck

where can i download the 1gb partition cab?
hi,
i couldnt find it?
Kind Regards

Thank You!!!!!!!!!!!
This is the first time my question is being answered directly and clearly
Setup,dowload, format... All took about 2 minutes and Im very greatful that I can use my 16gb to the full potential! Thank You Thank You Thank You

Moschino02 said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1242071 these devices have been confirmed to format sd card
Or use the storage_unlock.cab from xbmod
whilst you have wp7 installed send the storage unlock.cab to phone then send 1gb partition cab reset the phone from about..check if partition took effect first..press storage unlock on homepage tile .turn phone off your pc should recognise the sd card in sd card adapter for example it should read 7gb instead of 8gb use easeus partition tool to fully reformat
"download easeus partition master
find your sd on the screen by plugging it in and clicking refresh (arrows), your sd should show up as disk 2 or 3 and should have two sections FAT32 and unformatted.
right click on the unformatted section and choose delete then click on "apply"(or tick) button above
right click on your 1 gb FAT32 partition and chose resize
move the slider(click and hold on the separating bar between the two partitions) to increase the size to the whole volume then click apply
right click on the volume again and choose format primary,FAT32, 32kb sectors then apply.
That should do it.". Thanks to robbie p
Good luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you be more specific ?
I'm trying to get my sdcard back after many failed attempts to reach Mango. Just want to go back to Android where everything is so much simpler...
How should I use the locker.cab exactly to get my 8gb sd card back ? I tried several times but always failed.
I have to push the cab while running WP7 wait for reboot then what ? I read that booting again in WP7 from there will lock it again. What should I do ??

[Q] I want my sd full... 200MB HELP !!!!!!!!!

Hi guys I have a problem installing WP7 and my SD card ends with 200mb of 8 GB
First: I read a lot of posts about 200mb , about fix sd card, about this issue, but is not clear for me. So I looking for people can help me , not to bother me and say me google or search it. This people don't have nothing to do than spend time writing useless words.
I have an HTC HD2, every time I install a WP7 ROM after the first windows boot/ start , windows let my SD card of 8GB in 200mb, lot of people know that.
I try, format and partition the sd card after and before installation.
Windows format the SD after the first set up, and after that I try format or partition the SD again, but not work.
1 st question: I can read with windows 7 the files in the SD card ...? if I save some music or data.??? May be an aplication or something can read / write the SD.
If the first question is "yes" ... I find tutorials with how to format the sd card to use android, but I don't want use android , I want only WP7 and leave my memory with the full size, and can read / write files, like music , word , excel,etc. files.
Trying to do that I flash the WP7 like 6 times today...
I want, can use my SD Card Billy G !!!!!! LOL
Thanks guys for any advice or solution can give me.

Have you tried to format your SD card with a digicam? First I saw also the 200MB on the card in the digicam, when I formated it with the cam I saw the whole memory of 8 or 16GB.
Regards, Olli2.

format the card using a digital camera...thats the fastest way to do it....

No, I do not think you guys understand what he is saying. I think he wants to format once WP7 is installed and continue using WP7. WP7 does not support hot swapping cards. Once installed and formatted, it cannot be messed with if you want to continue to use WP7.

I can format the card
Thanks guys ....
I can format the card after I install the windows 7 with the boot menu of Magldr , but when I start the phone again windows tell me the Memory card can't be read, do a hard reset or change the memory, for a compilant one and force me to turn off.
I try differents ways, format the memory card to one partition of 200mb and the other partition with the rest of the unformated card, I try format to one big partition, I do the hard reset with the volume butoms , and start my phone and the same problem.Format to FAT 32.
I don't have a camera with this micro SD card..., you traying to tell me the windows 7 use a different file system than FAT32? BEcouse the 200MB partition is FAT16.
1)What happends if I install windows with no SD card??? and at the end of all the first windows set up( means widnows format my SD card to 200 mb, I install the SD card full size in the slot.? could be work?
2)But somebody can make work windows 7 ( only no dual boot) with a full size SD card( 8gb 16gb) , and can read/write/play music,videos or text files from the SD card...? or windows don't let you use the SDcard, or may be another aplication can on the marketplace, can do it.?
Thanks for the help...

That's all very strange to me. Every time I installed a WP7 ROM my issue was trying to GET the 200MB partition. (I dual boot android/WP7). What I suggest is to format your SD card, and make it one big UNFORMATTED partition. For example, if you use MiniTool Partition Wizard (i use that) make sure it's unformatted (a green square) as opposed to unallocated (grey square). Then when you flash WP7 it should have all of your storage.
You need to have your SD card in there when flashing the ROM. If not, and you try and insert the card afterwards, it won't recognize it.

soapbox23 said:
That's all very strange to me. Every time I installed a WP7 ROM my issue was trying to GET the 200MB partition. (I dual boot android/WP7). What I suggest is to format your SD card, and make it one big UNFORMATTED partition. For example, if you use MiniTool Partition Wizard (i use that) make sure it's unformatted (a green square) as opposed to unallocated (grey square). Then when you flash WP7 it should have all of your storage.
You need to have your SD card in there when flashing the ROM. If not, and you try and insert the card afterwards, it won't recognize it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
jajaja thats wierd !!! I will try your idea to see what happends.
Im using a WP7 ROM from YukiXDA, may be is that.
You recomend me do a dual boot, I don't have experience with android, and windows 7 look really cool.!!!
Thanks for the help

waltiti said:
Thanks guys ....
I can format the card after I install the windows 7 with the boot menu of Magldr , but when I start the phone again windows tell me the Memory card can't be read, do a hard reset or change the memory, for a compilant one and force me to turn off.
I try differents ways, format the memory card to one partition of 200mb and the other partition with the rest of the unformated card, I try format to one big partition, I do the hard reset with the volume butoms , and start my phone and the same problem.Format to FAT 32.
I don't have a camera with this micro SD card..., you traying to tell me the windows 7 use a different file system than FAT32? BEcouse the 200MB partition is FAT16.
1)What happends if I install windows with no SD card??? and at the end of all the first windows set up( means widnows format my SD card to 200 mb, I install the SD card full size in the slot.? could be work?
2)But somebody can make work windows 7 ( only no dual boot) with a full size SD card( 8gb 16gb) , and can read/write/play music,videos or text files from the SD card...? or windows don't let you use the SDcard, or may be another aplication can on the marketplace, can do it.?
Thanks for the help...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See my answer above.....What you are trying to do cannot be done because WP7 does not support removable storage.

Also, you must use Zune software to alter the size of storage available to windows for mass storage device.

I don't get what's the problem... Let's better make some things clear:
When you install for the first time WP7 on HD2, the system will format your SD card, it doesn't really matter what kind of partitions you had earlier, everything is going to be wiped out.
WP7 will make 2 partitions on your SD:
1. [~200MB] FAT16
2. [Rest of the space] Unformatted
That's the way it should be. The partitions aren't visible under Windows, with some registry hacks in Windows 7, the card gets mounted as a media player, where you can throw the music or pictures.
After installing WP7 on your phone, go to Settings->About and check the line Total Storage, if you say you have a 8GB card, then there should be available about 6.5-7GB ...
Of course, all these things are in the most ideal case, when your SD card is compatible with WP7..
In case you want to get back to Android and your card is not recognized normally, connect your card to PC through a card reader (or MGLDR -> USB MassStorage) and format it through SDFormatter (Freeware), turning ON the FORMAT SIZE ADJUSTMENT under Options..
After couple of months trying to make WP7 to work on my HD2 EU, i finally made it, had all kind of troubles with different cards.
1. SanDisk 2GB Class2 (Bundled with HD2) - could install WP7, card was recognized, after one day of using and installing several apps the system stars to crash, random reboots each 20 minutes or so.
2. Kingston 8GB Class4 (Bought 2 weeks ago) - WP7 installs but can't get over startup configuration, it stucks, rebootings and Hard Resets won't help (tried a bunch of different ROMs)
3. SanDisk 8GB Class4 (Bought 4 days ago) - WP7 installed perfectly, no rebootings and everything works till now, some bugs are showing up, but most probabil it's just Software/ROM related stuff..

nickriley thanks for all the info and explain to me this issue.
I have a Sandisk 8GB, and HD2 EU too, can you tell me the registry hack I need to do on the phone to can use the unformated like a media storage like you say...
"The partitions aren't visible under Windows, with some registry hacks in Windows 7, the card gets mounted as a media player, where you can throw the music or pictures.
"
Thanks a lot !!!!!!

No problems.
I couldn't find the guide on XDA forums, and as i'm a new user here i just found out that i'm not allowed to post external links Check your inbox..
Used the device in this way just a couple of times, as i'm using WP7 as main OS only during the last 3 days, but it worked, can copy from device and to device also..

Is there's a way to increase the FAT (200MB) partition ?

[Q] SD card

Hi guys, so I backed up my sd card and went on a little quest. Never knew what this did so tried it out, went onto clockwork and did an sd partition of 1024mb. Turned phone on sd card worked fine, tried installing a big game but still it said not enough space when there is 2.5gb empty on sd card. So that failed I went onto MAGLDR and onto services and cleared sd partition. Now I turn phone on and it says no sd card and prompts me to format it on status bar, but then it still doesn't work. Tried mounting it via usb but still the sd card is not showing up. Has my sd card corrupted? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Also some instructions on how to properly install apps 2 sd, as just moving to the sd card on settings doesn't fully move the app, some of it still remains in the internal and after installing 50+ apps it comes down to 20mb internal memory and says I have no more internal space.
Regards

Tenpin said:
Also some instructions on how to properly install apps 2 sd, as just moving to the sd card on settings doesn't fully move the app, some of it still remains in the internal and after installing 50+ apps it comes down to 20mb internal memory and says I have no more internal space.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if a rom supports a2sd (typhoon, for example,) you do not have to do anything, it will automatically use an ext partition if it finds one.
If you choose 'move to sd card' for an app, it will be REMOVED from the ext partition, and placed on the fat32 partition (where it may not work), so DO NOT choose 'move to sd', all your apps should be set to internal, and the rom will put them in the ext partition.

Tenpin said:
Hi guys, so I backed up my sd card and went on a little quest. Never knew what this did so tried it out, went onto clockwork and did an sd partition of 1024mb. Turned phone on sd card worked fine, tried installing a big game but still it said not enough space when there is 2.5gb empty on sd card. So that failed I went onto MAGLDR and onto services and cleared sd partition. Now I turn phone on and it says no sd card and prompts me to format it on status bar, but then it still doesn't work. Tried mounting it via usb but still the sd card is not showing up. Has my sd card corrupted? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Also some instructions on how to properly install apps 2 sd, as just moving to the sd card on settings doesn't fully move the app, some of it still remains in the internal and after installing 50+ apps it comes down to 20mb internal memory and says I have no more internal space.
Regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, i would start with HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool to format the sd card back to original. Then start from there.
samsamuel said:
if a rom supports a2sd (typhoon, for example,) you do not have to do anything, it will automatically use an ext partition if it finds one.
If you choose 'move to sd card' for an app, it will be REMOVED from the ext partition, and placed on the fat32 partition (where it may not work), so DO NOT choose 'move to sd', all your apps should be set to internal, and the rom will put them in the ext partition.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And @samsamuel wouldnt he benefit more from data2ext? From my experiences, that puts EVERYTHING on the ext partition. just puting my two cents in, (its about all i got xP )

elesbb said:
And @samsamuel wouldnt he benefit more from data2ext? From my experiences, that puts EVERYTHING on the ext partition. just puting my two cents in, (its about all i got xP )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends on what your needs are, .,,, running everything from the SD means much of the nand is unused, what's the point of that? Typhoon for instance,, 150mb system, say 20mb for cwm and boot, that's (round up) 200mb used out of 512,, nothing is gonna use the other 300mb, so might as well let the data use it.

Right I'm running this ice ROM off the nand: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1441462
[22-04-12][ROM] Unofficial AOKP for HD2 [Build 33][4.0.4][tytung_ics_r1]
It does say apps2sd is possible on thread op, so would I just partition my SD card on clockwork to 1024mb then just install apps without moving them to SD manually? Is that really it?
Regards,
Sent from my HTC HD2 using xda premium

samsamuel said:
Depends on what your needs are, .,,, running everything from the SD means much of the nand is unused, what's the point of that? Typhoon for instance,, 150mb system, say 20mb for cwm and boot, that's (round up) 200mb used out of 512,, nothing is gonna use the other 300mb, so might as well let the data use it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True, thats why i dont use either, i have the Tmous version so i ihave about 760 mb of unused nand. Only way id prolly use a partition is if i got a lot of bad blocks, but i only have about 5 bad blocks right now in just my data partition.
Tenpin said:
Right I'm running this ice ROM off the nand: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1441462
[22-04-12][ROM] Unofficial AOKP for HD2 [Build 33][4.0.4][tytung_ics_r1]
It does say apps2sd is possible on thread op, so would I just partition my SD card on clockwork to 1024mb then just install apps without moving them to SD manually? Is that really it?
Regards,
Sent from my HTC HD2 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, yes it is just partition sd card using minitool partition or disk utility(linux) and you should be good, i dont believe you have to reinstall the ROM either because apps2sd is an init.d script which gets ran upon boot.

[q] internal memory low after installing tango

My free space is showing 0.00, Cant even sms any1
plz help me out with this problem..
I dont have any SD card so i have to install Windows in Internal Memory
Edit:- Its showing, Total storage: 15.59MB
Available Storage: 0.00MB

you must have sdcard... sdcard is memory.... all WP7 original devices have sdcard memory also

I tried installing Android but i m stuck with CLK error while installing, can you please tell me how to uninstall.
Now whenever my phone does on PDA mode its always stuck on 0%.
I'm noob please help me out
Edit:- Problem solved, successfully installed ICS.

Without an SD card in your phone your memory problems are not over. You'll realize that once you start installing apps in ICS.

hd2_iFan said:
My free space is showing 0.00, Cant even sms any1
plz help me out with this problem..
I dont have any SD card so i have to install Windows in Internal Memory
Edit:- Its showing, Total storage: 15.59MB
Available Storage: 0.00MB
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Buy an sdcard and boot to wp7 and reset the phone in settings and while its in magdlr put the sdcard and it will be formated and used with wp7. Micro SDcards are not that expensive, I bought a 16 gb for 20 bucks and saw the 8 gb for 12.

How to do that
stevediaz said:
Buy an sdcard and boot to wp7 and reset the phone in settings and while its in magdlr put the sdcard and it will be formated and used with wp7. Micro SDcards are not that expensive, I bought a 16 gb for 20 bucks and saw the 8 gb for 12.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I install evereting. Now my phone is OK but not have free storage. How to enable external scard in my htc hd2 windows phone 7.5? Please give more details.

change SD card and make hard reset

htc hd2 16gb main memory shrunk to 650mb. please help!!!

my htc hd2 16gb. main phone memory shrunk after accidentally install windows 7.8 with/out SD card the phone don't let to reformat the main memory, i reinstall the original factory OS 6.5 and it says total main memory 650mb when total is 16gb.even the computer only reconice 650mb. not the 16gb. i try to use my mac. and use the syntem utilyties software to reformat the phone but the mac. don't reconice the main phone memory. is ther any way to reformat the memory phone some how. please help!

miraguilar1 said:
my htc hd2 16gb. main phone memory shrunk after accidentally install windows 7.8 with/out SD card the phone don't let to reformat the main memory, i reinstall the original factory OS 6.5 and it says total main memory 650mb when total is 16gb.even the computer only reconice 650mb. not the 16gb. i try to use my mac. and use the syntem utilyties software to reformat the phone but the mac. don't reconice the main phone memory. is ther any way to reformat the memory phone some how. please help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
use Task29 to format phone NAND memory (but this is for PC, not MAC)... look install tutorial in my signature
but how you describe i dont see problem.. phone dont have 16GB main (NAND memory).. WP7 use SDcard as main memory, WM6.5 not....
if you want format SDcard in MAC, pull out SD from phone and try this https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter_3/SDFormatter_0.91.pkg
in option select "format size adjustment" and format card